CHAPTER 8: TRAIN RIDE

FEBRUARY 26, 1991

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

 

On the train from Washington to San Francisco, Kevin McMiller sat with his book closed on his lap. He was tapping his fingers on the hard cover, looking out his window. The train was approaching the Oregon station. Kevin groaned, he didn’t want to stop. He had somewhere to be.

            Someone to save.

 

            As the train pulled up, a man was waiting on the bench outside the station. The door opened, and some people flooded out. The man, who was wearing a long coat, sunglasses, and fedora, got up and slowly walked in. He sat down in an empty seat right behind a man with a hardcover book on his lap. Trench Coat Man tapped Hardcover on the shoulder. “’Ello, mate,” he said, “do you have the time?”

            Hardcover pulled down his sleeve to reveal a fancy watch. “It is…5:15.”

            “Thanks, mate.”

            “No problem.” He turned back around.

            “So, where ya goin’?”

            Hardcover turned back around. “I’m headed to San Francisco. My wife is due today.”

            “Ohh, congrats mate!”

            “Thank you. How about you?”

            “I’m headed to--” he paused, “I’m headed to the restroom. I’m busting for a piss.”

            Trench Coat got up and ran towards the back of the train. He opened the door there and slammed it behind him, locking it.

 

            In the bathroom, Lee took off his trench coat and pulled a tablet out of it. He turned it on, impatiently shaking. Once it loaded up, he punched in his passcode and went to the “Trackkr” app. A search engine popped up. He typed the code that was on Johnny’s Time Watch, WDWJRH226. A small beep went off and a message popped up.

 

NO AGENTS WITH THAT TIME CODE ON DUTY

 

     He grunted. “Maybe I put it in wrong,” he muttered to himself. He tried again, this time extremely careful to put it in right.

NO AGENTS WITH THAT TIME CODE ON DUTY

 

            Then he remembered. “S**t, they don’t have their Watches!” he exclaimed. He threw himself down onto the toilet with his forehead buried in his palms. Then he remembered again.

            He had an idea.

            He quickly threw on his disguise again. He knew what to do.